Environmental hazards to small scale fisheries resources management in Nigeria

This paper examined the environmental hazards limiting sustainable small-scale fisheries development in Nigeria. Observation has showed that hazards range from pollution of the aquatic habitats by domestic and urban sewage and garbage, agro-chemicals, industrial pollutants, crude oil spillage etc. In an attempt to maximize catch, many migrant and part-time fisher folks indulge in highly destructive and obnoxious fishing practices with adverse impact on fisheries resources. These have constituted significant environmental hazards. Discharges of waste from aquacultural practices in to rivers and lakes have also been identified as sources of environmental hazards. Some aquatic weeds such as water hyacinth are sources of hazards. The effects of environmental hazards on small-scale fisheries resources may be direct arising from the toxicity of pollutants or indirect as a result of ecosystem modification. Some of the effects of pollutants on the aquatic environment and fish have been discussed in the paper

Reforming state-level coastal management and development policies: strategic retreat as an innovative, proactive and equitable coastal environmental management strategy

Atlantic and Gulf Coast shorelines include some of the most unique and biologically rich ecosystems in the United States that provide immeasurable aesthetic, habitat and economic benefits. Natural coastal ecosystems, however, are under increasing threat from rampant and irresponsible growth and development. Once a boon to local economies, complex natural forces – enhanced by global climate change and sea level rise - are now considered hazards and eroding the very foundation upon which coastal development is based. For nearly a century, beach restoration and erosion control structures have been used to artificially stabilize shorelines in an effort to protect structures and infrastructure. Beach restoration, the import and emplacement of sand on an eroding beach, is expensive, unpredictable, inefficient and may result in long-term environmental impacts. The detrimental environmental impacts of erosion control structures such as sea walls, groins, bulkheads and revetments include sediment deficits, accelerated erosion and beach loss. These and other traditional responses to coastal erosion and storm impacts- along with archaic federal and state policies, subsidies and development incentives - are costly, encourage risky development, artificially increase property values of high-risk or environmentally sensitive properties, reduce the post-storm resilience of shorelines, damage coastal ecosystems and are becoming increasingly unsustainable. Although communities, coastal managers and property owners face increasingly complex and difficult challenges, there is an emerging public, social and political awareness that, without meaningful policy reforms, coastal ecosystems and economies are in jeopardy. Strategic retreat is a sustainable, interdisciplinary management strategy that supports the proactive, planned removal of vulnerable coastal development; reduces risk; increases shoreline resiliency and ensures long term protection of coastal systems. Public policies and management strategies that can overcome common economic misperceptions and promote the removal of vulnerable development will provide state and local policy makers and coastal managers with an effective management tool that concomitantly addresses the economic, environmental, legal and political issues along developed shorelines. (PDF contains 4 pages)

Reforming state-level coastal management and development policies: strategic retreat as an innovative, proactive and equitable coastal environmental management strategy

Atlantic and Gulf Coast shorelines include some of the most unique and biologically rich ecosystems in the United States that provide immeasurable aesthetic, habitat and economic benefits. Natural coastal ecosystems, however, are under increasing threat from rampant and irresponsible growth and development. Once a boon to local economies, complex natural forces – enhanced by global climate change and sea level rise - are now considered hazards and eroding the very foundation upon which coastal development is based. For nearly a century, beach restoration and erosion control structures have been used to artificially stabilize shorelines in an effort to protect structures and infrastructure. Beach restoration, the import and emplacement of sand on an eroding beach, is expensive, unpredictable, inefficient and may result in long-term environmental impacts. The detrimental environmental impacts of erosion control structures such as sea walls, groins, bulkheads and revetments include sediment deficits, accelerated erosion and beach loss. These and other traditional responses to coastal erosion and storm impacts- along with archaic federal and state policies, subsidies and development incentives - are costly, encourage risky development, artificially increase property values of high-risk or environmentally sensitive properties, reduce the post-storm resilience of shorelines, damage coastal ecosystems and are becoming increasingly unsustainable. Although communities, coastal managers and property owners face increasingly complex and difficult challenges, there is an emerging public, social and political awareness that, without meaningful policy reforms, coastal ecosystems and economies are in jeopardy. Strategic retreat is a sustainable, interdisciplinary management strategy that supports the proactive, planned removal of vulnerable coastal development; reduces risk; increases shoreline resiliency and ensures long term protection of coastal systems. Public policies and management strategies that can overcome common economic misperceptions and promote the removal of vulnerable development will provide state and local policy makers and coastal managers with an effective management tool that concomitantly addresses the economic, environmental, legal and political issues along developed shorelines. (PDF contains 4 pages)

Linking public perceptions of socioeconmic change and marine resource management in rural Maine

Rural coastal regions across the United States are coping with dramatic social and environmental changes. Historically, these areas relied heavily on fishing and marine commerce and these economic activities defined the character of coastal communities. However, shifting ocean and climate conditions, together with inadequate management strategies, have led to sharp declines in harvestable marine resources. These trends, along with increasing competition from aquaculture and international sources of fish, have led to the steady decline of fishing as the central economic activity in many rural coastal communities. (PDF contains 3 pages)

Use of macroinvertebrate communities to detect environmental stress in running waters

This paper presents an account of some current uses of RIVPACS (River Invertebrate Prediction and Classification System), a software package developed by the Institute of Freshwater Ecology (UK). Background information is also given on the unique data-set on which the system is based. Before discussing RIVPACS, we consider the range of environmental stresses encountered in flowing-water systems and some of the ways in which stresses may affect macroinvertebrate communities. The wide application and relevance of the RIVPACS approach was recognised when it was chosen as the biological method for use throughout the UK in the 1990 River Quality Survey (RQS). In the concluding section we list some lessons learnt both from the 1990 survey and from our own testing exercise, and we outline current developments which will lead to a new version of RIVPACS for use in the 1995 RQS.

Feasibility of fisheries co-management in Africa

The current, highly centralized approach to fisheries management seems to be incapable of coping with escalating resource depletion and environmental degradation. Co-management has been identified as an alternative. This paper compares various approaches to fisheries management and discusses their performance in relation to the nature of the fishery. It is concluded that in African fisheries, stringent institutional arrangements, poor human, technical and financial resources, and a limited time frame often thwart co-management approaches. However, with the right conditions and prerequisites, comanagement can be successful in improving compliance with regulations and maintaining or enhancing the quality of the resource. The paper brings out the issues that require further research.

Managing environmental impacts in aquaculture

The article presents the environmental impacts of aquaculture and the ways to manage them. The environmental impacts include issues of recreation and aesthetics, and the usage of resources and discharge of nutrients and organic matter into the environment. Likewise, the results are also discussed, such as reduced production, disease outbreak in cultured and wild populations, and an increase of regulatory restrictions being placed on aquaculture operations.

Does Long-Term Macrophyte Management in Lakes Affect Biotic Richness and Diversity?

We hypothesize that the richness and diversity of the biota in Lake Moraine (42°50’47”N, 75°31’39”W) in New York have been negatively impacted by 60 years of macrophyte and algae management to control Eurasian watermilfoil ( Myriophyllum spicatum L.) and associated noxious plants. To test this hypothesis we compare water quality characteristics, richness and selected indicators of plant diversity, zooplankton, benthic macroinvertebrates and fish in Lake Moraine with those in nearby Hatch Lake (42°50’06”N, 75°40’67”W). The latter is of similar size and would be expected to have similar biota, but has not been subjected to management. Measurements of temperature, pH, oxygen, conductivity, Secchi transparency, calcium, total phosphorus and nitrites + nitrates are comparable. Taxa richness and the diversity indices applied to the aquatic macrophytes are similar in both lakes. (PDF has 8 pages.)

Review of World literature on Water Chestnut with implications for management in North America

Water chestnut (Trapa natans L.,sensu lato) is an annual, floating-leaved aquatic plant of temperate and tropical freshwater wetlands, rivers, lakes, ponds, and estuaries. Native to Eurasia and Africa, water chestnut has been widely gathered for its large nutritious seed since the Neolithic and is cultivated for food in Asia. Water chestnut is now a species of conservation concern in Europe and Russia. Introduced to the northeastern United States in the mid-1800s, the spread of water chestnut as a nuisance weed was apparently favored by cultural eutrophication. Water chestnut is considered a pest in the U.S. because it forms extensive, dense beds in lakes, rivers, and freshwater-tidal habitats.

Assistance in poverty alleviation through improved aquatic resources management in Asia-Pacific: DoF/NACA-STREAM/FAO Workshop on livelihoods approaches and analysis. Yangon, Union of Myanmar, 11-15 May 2004

This is the report of the “DoF/NACA-STREAM/FAO Workshop on Livelihoods Approaches and Analysis” that was conducted in Yangon, Union of Myanmar from 11-15 May 2004. The purpose of the workshop was to develop and document mechanisms for training in livelihoods approaches and analysis, and to build national capacity to conduct livelihoods studies. The workshop in Yangon was the first STREAM event in Myanmar, with colleagues coming to participate from Yangon and many Divisions and States throughout the country. The workshop in Yangon was the fourth in a series, the first of which was held in Iloilo City, Philippines, in November 2003, the second in Ranchi, India, in February 2004, and the third in Vientiane, Lao PDR in March 2004. A subsequent workshop will take place in Yunnan, China. The objectives of the workshop were to: Understand issues of interest to people whose livelihoods include aquatic resources management, especially those with limited resources Build “(national) livelihoods teams” to do livelihoods analyses and training, and share their experiences with communities and other stakeholders Share understandings of livelihoods approaches and analysis using participatory methods Review current NACA-STREAM livelihoods analysis documentation, adapt and supplement, towards the drafting of a Guide for Livelihoods Analysis Experience the use of participatory tools for livelihoods analysis Plan activities for carrying out livelihoods analyses, and Consider how to build capacity in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and “significant change”. (Pdf contains 56 pages).

Poverty and aquatic resources in Vietnam: an assessment of the role and potential of aquatic resource management in poor people's livelihoods

This report seeks to discuss a variety of approaches to poverty in order to illustrate the diversity of poor people, and the range of ways in which people are poor, facilitating a broader understanding of poverty and the significance of aquatic resources in poor people’s livelihoods. This is intended to provide a balance to the general neglect of the poor in the pursuit of aquaculture development within the Fisheries sector. It is also intended that this approach to poverty will assist in the planning and targeting of aquatic resource interventions that aim to promote poverty alleviation. In its many different forms, poverty remains a persistent problem with a great number of people facing deprivation and vulnerable livelihoods. Rates of poverty alleviation also differ; whereas the Red River Delta has achieved the greatest reductions in poverty, the Mekong Delta has achieved the smallest improvements, with possible indications that inequality has increased (see 2.4). Inequality between regions persists despite progress in all regions. (PDF has 37 pages.)

Assistance in poverty alleviation through improved aquatic resources management in Asia-Pacific: GVT/NACA-STREAM/FAO International Workshop on livelihoods approaches and analysis. Ranchi, Jharkhand, India, 2-6 Feb. 2004

This is the report of the “GVT/NACA-STREAM/FAO International Workshop on Livelihoods Approaches and Analysis” that was conducted in Ranchi, India from 2-6 February 2004. The purpose of the workshop was to develop and document mechanisms for training in livelihoods approaches and analysis, and to build national capacity to conduct livelihoods analysis. The workshop in Ranchi was a joint India-Nepal event, with colleagues coming to participate from Kathmandu and other areas of Nepal. The workshop in Ranchi was the second in a series, the first of which was held in Iloilo City, Philippines, in November 2003. Subsequent workshops will take place in other countries in the region, including Lao PDR, Myanmar and Yunnan, China. (Pdf contains 48 pages).

Assistance in poverty alleviation through improved aquatic resources management in Asia-Pacific: DLF/NACA-STREAM/FAO National Workshop on livelihoods approaches and analysis. Vientiane, Lao PDR, 8-12 Mar. 2004

This is the report of the “DLF/NACA-STREAM/FAO National Workshop on Livelihoods Approaches and Analysis” that was conducted in Vientiane, Lao PDR from 8-12 March 2004. The purpose of the workshop was to develop and document mechanisms for training in livelihoods approaches and analysis, and to build national capacity to conduct livelihoods analysis. The workshop in Vientiane was the first STREAM event in Lao PDR, with colleagues coming to participate from Vientiane and many provinces throughout the country. The workshop in Vientiane was the third in a series, the first of which was held in Iloilo City, Philippines, in November 2003 and the second in Ranchi, India, in February, 2004. Subsequent workshops will take place in other countries in the region, including Myanmar and Yunnan, China. (Pdf contains 59 pages).